JP2011171814A - Imaging apparatus and imaging system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging apparatus which can eliminate the useless part of photographed video images and increase the resolution of an object at the front of a mobile object and inside the mobile object. <P>SOLUTION: The imaging apparatus 100 is the imaging apparatus 20 for simultaneously imaging a vehicle exterior view (first object) in the advancing direction (arrow) of a vehicle (mobile object) 1 and a driver (second object) 5 loaded on the vehicle 1, and includes: a set mirror (projection means) 21 comprising a mirror (first projection member) 3 for projecting a vehicle exterior view image and a mirror (second projection member) 4 for projecting the driver 5; and a camera (imaging means) 6 for imaging the vehicle exterior view image and the driver image 5 projected by the set mirror 21. The set mirror 21 has such a configuration that the disposition angle α of the mirror 3 and the mirror 4 can be arbitrarily set, and is disposed at a position for converging the simultaneously projected vehicle exterior view and driver 5 to the camera 6. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus and an imaging system, and more particularly to an image acquisition technique for simultaneously capturing a traveling direction of a moving body and a subject inside the moving body.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in-vehicle cameras that are attached to a vehicle and photograph the front of the vehicle or the inside of the vehicle are already known. However, conventional in-vehicle cameras require cameras that are installed exclusively in the monitoring direction. For example, in order to monitor the front of the vehicle and the interior of the vehicle at the same time, it is necessary to separately provide a camera for monitoring the front of the vehicle and the interior of the vehicle was there. Therefore, when simultaneously monitoring multiple directions with a single camera, a lens with a wide-angle field of view, such as a fisheye lens, a hyperboloidal mirror, a conical mirror, etc., is used so that all directions including inside and outside the vehicle are taken into view. Although it is possible, this method has a problem that many unnecessary parts appear in the video. For example, even when the image of the front of the vehicle and the driver is necessary, an unnecessary portion such as a bonnet enters the image, and as a result, the image of the necessary portion becomes small. Therefore, although the image of the necessary part can be enlarged by image processing, there is a problem that the resolution deteriorates.
Patent Document 1 discloses a camera that can monitor the front, side, rear, and driver status of a vehicle with a single camera, and can collect images from all directions for the purpose of making it easier for the driver to view the captured image. And an apparatus that performs image processing on the captured video.

However, the prior art disclosed in Patent Document 1 is similar in that it takes a picture of the outside of the vehicle and the inside of the vehicle at the same time with a single camera, but it enters many unnecessary partial cameras and is necessary. There is a problem that an image becomes small. Even if image processing for enlarging an arbitrary part of the shooting area is performed, the problem that the resolution is deteriorated cannot be solved.
In the present invention, the combination angle of the two projection members and the position and direction of the imaging device are adjusted to the optimum values, and the moving body traveling direction and the inside of the moving body are simultaneously photographed with one imaging device. It is an object of the present invention to provide an imaging apparatus that can eliminate a useless portion of an image and increase the resolution of a subject in front of the moving body and the moving body.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an image processing means to automatically adjust the combination angle of the two projection members and the position and direction of the imaging device, thereby improving the convenience for the user.

In order to solve such a problem, the present invention provides an imaging apparatus that simultaneously images a first subject in a traveling direction of a moving body and a second subject mounted on the moving body, Projection means constituted by a first projection member that projects a first subject image and a second projection member that projects the second subject image, and the first subject image and the first projection projected by the projection means Imaging means for picking up two subject images, and the projection means has a configuration in which an arrangement angle of the first projection member and the second projection member can be arbitrarily set, and is projected simultaneously. The first subject image and the second subject image are disposed at a position where the first subject image and the second subject image are condensed on the imaging unit.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the imaging range for capturing the first subject image and the second subject image includes an arrangement angle between the first projection member and the second projection member, and the imaging with respect to the projection unit. It is determined by the direction and position of the means.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the image pickup unit includes an optical zoom unit.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a projection angle adjustment for adjusting an arrangement angle of the imaging device according to any one of the first to third aspects and the first and second projection members constituting the projection unit. Means, a projection position adjusting means for adjusting the position of the projection means, an imaging position adjusting means for adjusting the position of the imaging means, a zoom adjusting means for adjusting the zoom amount of the optical zoom means, and the imaging means. Video output means for outputting the captured video as an electrical signal.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the image processing means includes image processing means for recognizing each subject by performing image processing on the first subject image and the second subject image captured by the imaging means. It is determined whether or not the shooting range of the subject image is within a predetermined area. If the determination result is negative, the respective adjustment means are driven so that the shooting range of each of the subject images is within the predetermined area. It is characterized by adjusting.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an inverted image processing means for inverting the first subject image or / and the second subject image picked up by the image pickup means.

  According to the present invention, the projection unit configured by the first projection member that projects the first subject image and the second projection member that projects the second subject image, and the first subject projected by the projection unit Imaging means for picking up an image and a second subject image, and the projection means has a configuration in which the arrangement angle of the first projection member and the second projection member can be arbitrarily set and is projected simultaneously. Since the first subject image and the second subject image are arranged at a position where the subject image is focused on the imaging means, the useless portion of the captured image is excluded, and the resolution of the subject in front of the movable body and the subject in the movable body is increased. Can do. Moreover, since the image processing means is provided and the combination angle of the two projection members and the position and direction of the imaging device are automatically adjusted, the convenience for the user can be improved.

It is a schematic diagram at the time of mounting the imaging device of the present invention in a vehicle. It is a figure explaining the factor which determines an imaging range. It is a figure which shows an example of the imaging | photography range which can image | photograph a suitable image | video. It is a figure which shows an example in case an imaging | photography direction is not appropriate. It is a figure explaining the adjustment operation of a photography range by changing the angle of a mirror. It is a figure which shows the case where the imaging range in front of a vehicle is too wide and the imaging range on the driver side is too narrow. It is a figure which shows the example which changed the imaging | photography range by changing the direction of a camera. It is a figure which shows the example which changed the imaging | photography range by changing the position of a camera. It is a figure explaining the case where the imaging | photography possible range of a vehicle front and a driver side is both too wide as a case where a photography range is not appropriate. It is a figure which shows the change of the imaging | photography range when a camera optically zooms. It is a figure showing an example of an imaging system concerning a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the imaging system which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation | movement when adjusting the imaging range ahead of a vehicle by an image process part. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation | movement when adjusting the imaging | photography range of a driver by an image process part. It is a flowchart in the case of adjusting simultaneously the width of the imaging range ahead of the vehicle and the size of the driver's face. It is a figure which shows an example of the image of the suitable range imaged with this imaging device. It is a figure which shows the image image | photographed with the camera. It is a figure which shows the image after image processing.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. However, the components, types, combinations, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like described in this embodiment are merely illustrative examples and not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only unless otherwise specified. .
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram when the imaging apparatus of the present invention is mounted on a vehicle. The imaging apparatus 100 captures simultaneously an image of a scene outside the vehicle (first subject) in the traveling direction (arrow) of the vehicle (moving body) 1 and a driver (second subject) 5 mounted on the vehicle 1. A pair of mirrors (projection means) 21 constituted by a mirror (first projection member) 3 for projecting an outside scenery image and a mirror (second projection member) 4 for projecting a driver 5, and the pair of mirrors 3 And a camera (image pickup means) 6 for picking up the vehicle outside scene image and the driver image 5 projected by the above-mentioned, and the set mirror 3 has a configuration in which the arrangement angle α of the mirror 3 and the mirror 4 can be arbitrarily set, and at the same time The projected outside scenery and the driver 5 are arranged at a position for condensing on the camera 6.
That is, two mirrors of a mirror 3 and a mirror 4 are attached near the ceiling in the vehicle as a condensing device, and the camera 6 is installed at a position below the mirror 3 and the mirror 4. The camera 6 photographs the paired mirror 21 upward. The camera 6 and the mirror 3 are installed on the mirror 3 at an angle at which an image in front of the vehicle can be condensed on the camera 6. The mirror 4 is installed at an angle that allows the image of the driver 5 to be focused on the camera 6. By doing so, the front of the vehicle and the driver 5 can be photographed simultaneously by one camera 6. Further, by adjusting the angle of the pair mirror 21 and the position of the camera 6, it is possible to prevent unnecessary portions such as the bonnet 2 from entering the image.
In FIG. 1, the set mirror 21 is installed vertically above the camera 6, but a configuration in which the mirror is installed above the camera and the camera is directed downward may be used. Further, in FIG. 1, the mirror 3 and the mirror 4 are joined without a gap, but this is for reducing useless portions of the captured video. If there is a gap between the mirror 3 and the mirror 4, the image of that portion is wasted, so it is desirable that there is no gap between the mirror 3 and the mirror 4 as much as possible. When actually making a product, it is conceivable that the camera 6, the mirror 3, and the mirror 4 are integrated and used as one small unit.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the factors that determine the shooting range. The camera 6 photographs the mirror 3 and the mirror 4 at the same time, and photographs the images reflected from each mirror. The imageable ranges 7 and 8 are determined by the angle a of the mirror 3, the angle b of the mirror 4, and the angles of view c and d of the camera 6. The angles e, f, g, and h in the figure are respectively
e = 180-2a
f = 180-2b
g = 180-2a + c
h = 180-2b + d
It is expressed. When the angles of the mirror 3 and the mirror 4 with respect to the camera 6 are changed and the angles a and b are increased, the angles e, f, g and h are decreased, and the photographing range is shifted downward. Further, the shooting range also changes when the angles c and d change due to changes in the orientation and position of the camera 6 with respect to the mirror 3 and the mirror 4. For example, when the direction of the camera 6 is changed and the angle c is increased, the angle g is also increased, and the photographing range 7 in front of the vehicle is widened. Conversely, since the angle d becomes small, the angle h also becomes small, and the photographing range 8 on the driver side becomes narrow. Even if the arrangement of the camera 6 does not change, if the angle of view of the camera 6 can be changed by optical zoom or the like, the angles c and d change, so the shooting range changes. From the above, the shooting range of the imaging apparatus 20 having the configuration shown in FIG. 2 is determined by the angle between the mirror 3 and the mirror 4, the direction and position of the camera 6 with respect to the mirror 3 and the mirror 4, and the angle of view.
When this device is actually installed in the vehicle and both the front of the vehicle and the driver 5 are photographed, the angle of the pair mirror 21 and the direction of the camera 6 are adjusted so that the photographing range is appropriate for a certain vehicle type. However, there is a possibility that the shooting range is not appropriate for another vehicle type. Even if the installation position changes, the shooting range changes. If the angle of the mirrors 3 and 4, the direction of the camera 6, and the angle of view of the camera 6 can be adjusted so that the shooting range is appropriate, it is possible to shoot an appropriate image even if the vehicle type and installation position are different. It is.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a shooting range in which an appropriate video can be shot. First, regarding the front of the vehicle, it is desirable that the bonnet 2 does not enter the shooting range. Therefore, the lower limit of the photographing range is preferably near the upper part of the bonnet 2. The upper limit of the shooting range is not a problem unless the ceiling of the vehicle 1 enters. Regarding the shooting range of the driver 5, it is necessary that the face of the driver 5 can be shot firmly. In addition, it is desirable that the image on the ceiling of the vehicle 1 is not in the shooting range because it is useless. Further, if a portion other than the mirror 3 and the mirror 4 enters the shooting range of the camera 6, that portion becomes an unnecessary image, so it is necessary to keep only two mirrors 3 and 4 in the shooting range as much as possible. is there.
There are two cases where the shooting range is not appropriate: a case where the shooting direction is not appropriate and a case where the width of the shooting range is not appropriate.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example when the shooting direction is not appropriate. FIG. 4 shows a case where the shooting direction is not the direction in which shooting is desired. The shooting range 7 in front of the vehicle 1 is too downward, and the bonnet 2 is almost reflected. Also, since the shooting range 8 on the driver side is too downward, the entire face of the driver 5 is not within the shooting range. In such a case, the shooting range can be changed by changing the angles of the mirrors 3 and 4.

FIG. 5 is a view for explaining the adjustment operation of the photographing range by changing the angle of the mirror. If the angle a and the angle b are reduced as shown in FIG. 5, the photographing range moves upward. Conversely, if the shooting range is too upward, the shooting range can be moved downward by increasing the angle a and the angle b. If the angle a and the angle b can be set individually, the shooting range 7 in front of the vehicle and the shooting range 8 of the driver can be individually changed. For example, when the shooting range 7 in front of the vehicle is too downward and the shooting range 8 of the driver is too upward, the angle a may be reduced and the angle b may be increased.
As an embodiment for changing the photographing range in FIG. 5, there is a method in which the mirror 3 and the mirror 4 are connected so that the angle can be changed, and the angle can be easily changed by hand. In addition, there is a method in which the angle a and the angle b are changed by connecting the mirror 3 and the mirror 4 at a fixed angle and changing the direction of the mirror. However, this method has a drawback that the angle a and the angle b cannot be individually changed because a + b is constant. As a third method, there is a method in which a plurality of mirrors connected at a fixed angle and having different angles a and b are prepared, and the shooting range is changed by exchanging them. Further, as a case where the shooting range is not appropriate, there may be a case where the shooting range is too wide or too narrow in addition to the case where the shooting direction is not appropriate.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a case where the shooting range in front of the vehicle is too wide and the shooting range on the driver side is too narrow. In this way, when one shooting range is too wide and the other shooting range is too narrow, the orientation of the camera 6 with respect to the mirrors 3 and 4 is changed, or the positional relationship between the camera 6 and the paired mirror 21 is changed. An appropriate shooting range can be obtained.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example in which the shooting range is changed by changing the direction of the camera. It can be seen that the shooting range 7 in front of the vehicle is narrowed and the shooting range 8 on the driver side is widened by changing the direction of the camera 6. Conversely, if the shooting range 7 in front of the vehicle is too narrow and the shooting range 8 on the driver side is too wide, the direction of the camera 6 may be changed in the reverse direction. Changing the direction of the camera 6 changes not only the width of the shooting range but also the shooting direction, so the shooting direction is adjusted to an appropriate direction using the method of adjusting the angle of the mirrors 3 and 4 described above. There is a need to.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example in which the shooting range is changed by changing the position of the camera. If the camera 6 is moved to a direction in which the shooting range is too narrow, the shooting range in the moving direction becomes wider. The same effect can be obtained by changing the position of the paired mirror 21 instead of the position of the camera 6. Since the shooting direction changes, it is necessary to change the shooting direction by adjusting the angles of the mirrors 3 and 4.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a case where the photographing range on the front side of the vehicle and the driver-side photographing range are both too wide when the photographing range is not appropriate. In front of the vehicle, the bonnet 2 enters the shooting range, and on the driver side, the ceiling of the vehicle enters the shooting range. In this case, even if the direction of the camera 6 is changed to narrow the shooting range 7 in front of the vehicle, for example, the shooting range 8 on the driver side becomes even wider. In other words, even if the direction and position of the camera are changed, it is not possible to make both shooting ranges appropriate. In such a case, the camera 6 can be an optical zoom lens camera, and both shooting ranges can be made appropriate by changing the angle of view of the camera.
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a change in the photographing range when the camera is optically zoomed. By using the optical zoom, the angle of view of the camera is reduced and the shooting range is also reduced. By combining the method shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 and the method shown in FIG. 10, it is possible to freely change the width of the shooting range 7 in front of the vehicle and the shooting range 8 on the driver side.
In order to obtain an image of the optimal range of the front of the vehicle and the driver regardless of the type of vehicle, the method of changing the mirror angle shown in FIG. 5 and the orientation and position of the camera shown in FIGS. It is necessary to use one of the changing methods and the optical zooming method shown in FIG. However, some adjustments can be made with just one method.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of an imaging system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The imaging system 30 includes the imaging device 20 described above, a mirror angle adjusting unit (projection angle adjusting means) 10 that adjusts the arrangement angle of the mirror 3 and the mirror 4 that constitute the paired mirror 21, and the position of the paired mirror 21. A mirror position adjusting unit (projection position adjusting unit) 11 for adjusting the position of the camera, a camera position adjusting unit (imaging position adjusting unit) 12 for adjusting the position of the camera 6, and an optical zoom adjusting unit (adjusting the zoom amount of the optical zoom unit). (Zoom adjusting means) 13 and a video output unit (video output means) 14 for outputting an image picked up by the camera 6 as an electric signal.
The present embodiment is connected to a camera 6 mounted on the vehicle 1, a mirror 3 that condenses the image ahead of the vehicle on the camera 6, a mirror 4 that condenses the image of the driver 5, and the camera 6. The video output unit 14 is provided. The mirror 3 and the mirror 4 are installed vertically downward, and the camera 6 is installed vertically upward. Alternatively, the mirror 3 and the mirror 4 may be installed vertically upward and the camera 6 may be installed vertically downward. The camera preferably has an optical zoom lens. The video output unit 14 is a part that outputs video captured by the camera 6, and may be a monitor or a recording device.

In order to adjust the shooting range so as to minimize useless images, the mirror 3 and the mirror 4 have a mirror angle adjustment unit 10 that can adjust the mirror angle so that the shooting range changes, and the position of the mirror. A mirror position adjusting unit 11 that can be adjusted is provided. The camera 6 is also provided with a camera position adjustment unit 12 that can adjust the position of the camera and an optical zoom adjustment unit 13 that can control the optical zoom of the camera. The mirror angle adjustment unit 10, the mirror position adjustment unit 11, the camera position adjustment unit 12, and the optical zoom adjustment unit 13 do not have to be provided, but are preferably as many as possible.
There is a method of adjusting the photographing range by manually adjusting the output video while the video output unit 14 is used as a monitor while watching the output video. As another method, an image processing unit 15 that recognizes the driver's face and the front area of the vehicle is connected to the camera 6 to determine whether the shooting range is in an appropriate state. There is also a method of correcting the shooting range. In this case, as shown in FIG. 12, the image processing unit 15 further includes an image processing unit (image processing unit) 15 that recognizes each subject by performing image processing on the scenery outside the vehicle captured by the camera 6 and the driver 5. Determines whether or not the shooting range of each subject image is within a predetermined area. If the determination result is negative, each adjustment unit is driven so that the shooting range of each subject image is within the predetermined area. Correct it. This configuration has an advantage that the user can save time and effort when using the imaging apparatus.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation when the image processing unit adjusts the shooting range in front of the vehicle. First, the image processing unit 15 receives the image data output from the camera 6 and recognizes the area 7 in front of the vehicle (S1). Then, it is determined whether the shooting range is appropriate (S2). If not appropriate (NO in S2), the camera position adjustment unit 12, the optical zoom adjustment unit 13, and the mirror position adjustment unit 11 are adjusted (S3). ). If this operation is repeated and the width of the shooting range becomes appropriate (YES in S2), it is next determined whether the shooting range in front of the vehicle is appropriate (S4). If not (NO in S4), the mirror angle adjustment unit Adjust 10 (S5) and repeat until appropriate.
FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation when the image processing unit adjusts the shooting range of the driver. First, the image processing unit 15 receives the image data output from the camera 6 and recognizes the shooting range 8 on the driver side (S6). Next, it is determined whether the face of the driver 5 is reflected (S7). If not reflected (NO in S7), the mirror angle adjustment unit 10 is adjusted (S8) and repeated until it becomes appropriate. Next, it is determined whether or not the shooting range is appropriate (S9). If it is not appropriate (NO in S9), the camera position adjustment unit 12, the optical zoom adjustment unit 13, and the mirror position adjustment unit 11 are respectively adjusted (S9). S10). When this operation is repeated and the width of the photographing range becomes appropriate (YES in S9), it is then determined whether the face position of the driver 5 is appropriate (S11). If not appropriate (NO in S11), the mirror angle is adjusted. Adjust part 10 (S12) and repeat until appropriate.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart in the case of simultaneously adjusting the width of the photographing range in front of the vehicle and the size of the driver's face. First, it is determined whether or not the width of the photographing range 7 in front of the vehicle is appropriate (S13). If not appropriate (NO in S13), the camera position adjustment unit 12, the optical zoom adjustment unit 13, and the mirror position adjustment unit 11 are adjusted (S15). When this operation is repeated and the width of the photographing range becomes appropriate (YES in S13), it is next determined whether the face size of the driver 5 is appropriate (S14). If it is not appropriate (NO in S14), the camera position adjusting unit 12, the optical zoom adjusting unit 13, and the mirror position adjusting unit 11 are respectively adjusted (S15), and this operation is repeated.
FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image in an appropriate range captured by the imaging apparatus. The upper half 16 of the image is a video in front of the vehicle, and the lower half 17 of the image is a video of the driver 5. In FIG. 16, the upper and lower sides of the image of the driver 5 are shown upside down. In this imaging apparatus, since the up-down direction of the image in front of the vehicle and the image of the driver 5 is opposite, one of the images is projected upside down. Therefore, in carrying out the present invention, as shown in FIG. 17, an image processing unit 18 that vertically flips the image of either the front of the vehicle or the driver 5 among the images captured by the camera 6 is connected to the camera 6. The form to do is conceivable. In the image processing unit 18, not only the direction of the video is corrected, but also the process of changing the captured video to a video without distortion may be performed simultaneously.
FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of a video image after image processing.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle, 2 Bonnet, 3 Mirror, 4 Mirror, 5 Driver, 6 Camera, 7 Shooting range ahead of vehicle, 8 Driver's shooting range, 9 Out of shooting range, 10 Mirror angle adjustment unit, 11 Mirror position adjustment unit, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 Camera position adjustment part, 13 Optical zoom adjustment part, 14 Video output part, 15 Image processing part, 16 Upper half of image, 17 Lower half of image, 18 Image processing part, 20 Imaging device, 21 Pair mirror, 30 Imaging system

Japanese Patent No. 3327255

Claims (6)

An imaging device that simultaneously images a first subject in a traveling direction of a moving body and a second subject mounted on the moving body,
A projection unit configured by a first projection member that projects the first subject image and a second projection member that projects the second subject image;
Imaging means for capturing the first subject image and the second subject image projected by the projection means,
The projection unit has a configuration in which an arrangement angle of the first projection member and the second projection member can be arbitrarily set, and simultaneously projects the first subject image and the second subject image. An image pickup apparatus arranged at a position where light is condensed on an image pickup means.   The imaging range for capturing the first subject image and the second subject image includes an arrangement angle between the first projection member and the second projection member, and a direction and position of the imaging unit with respect to the projection unit. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the imaging device is determined by:   The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging unit includes an optical zoom unit. The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
Projection angle adjusting means for adjusting an arrangement angle of the first projection member and the second projection member constituting the projection means;
Projection position adjusting means for adjusting the position of the projection means;
Imaging position adjusting means for adjusting the position of the imaging means;
Zoom adjusting means for adjusting the zoom amount of the optical zoom means;
Video output means for outputting the video imaged by the imaging means as an electrical signal;
An imaging system comprising: Image processing means for recognizing each subject by subjecting the first subject image and the second subject image imaged by the imaging means to image processing;
The image processing unit determines whether or not the shooting range of each subject image is within a predetermined area. If the determination result is negative, the image processing unit drives the adjustment unit to capture the shooting range of each subject image. The image pickup system according to claim 4, wherein adjustment is performed so that the value falls within a predetermined area.   The imaging system according to claim 4, further comprising an inverted image processing unit that inverts the first subject image and / or the second subject image captured by the imaging unit.

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